


Detour from the Inevitable

by Nintenlego



Series: Side Stories from Across the Infinite Realms [3]
Category: Persona 5, Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types
Genre: Abundant References, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Everything up to the Sixth Palace, Fanservice, Gen, Light-Hearted, Of the Reference Variety, Side Story, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-02
Updated: 2020-09-02
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:48:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,572
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26245192
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nintenlego/pseuds/Nintenlego
Summary: While on the hunt for Tails, the resistance group meets the infamous Phantom Thieves of Hearts. Marina gets the idea to work alongside them to take down Dr. Eggman. However, nothing ever goes smoothly in a Palace run...
Series: Side Stories from Across the Infinite Realms [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1663012
Comments: 1





	Detour from the Inevitable

**Author's Note:**

> BIG NOTE: This is a side story for the Land of Infinite Realms. As such, it's recommended to read that one first as a setup. 
> 
> I kind of just wanted to get the first chapter out there, since I've got mostly everything planned, besides the fifth Palace. That one's still up in the air as to who it belongs to, but the others are mostly planned out (outside of one where I'll actually have to beat a game to fully complete their Palace) but not written. They kind of end up spoiling a lot of the main story, so this chapter is fine to read on its own, but the others that come later will be added as soon as reasonably possible (which may be a while, since every Shadow involved appears during a specific chunk of the story I haven't written yet.) so they may spoil parts of the main story.
> 
> I haven't quite finished the pins for this one yet. I'm gonna use a completely different set of pins for this story compared to the main one, so I have to draw up a bunch of new ones. Plus, ones for the Shadows... new demons... it's a lot of work.
> 
> I'm also using Ren Amamiya as the protagonist's name. That's the one that's used in all the official media (except for the manga.)
> 
> Everything involved here has some sort of pay-off in the actual story as well, and you don't have to read this one to understand the plot of the other. It'll just seem like a 'came out of nowhere' thing otherwise.

-???

Two people sat in a cramped interrogation room. One, a tall silver-haired prosecutor. The other, a messy-haired high school kid. The kid was covered in cuts and bruises, struggling to keep his head up. His head held in his hands, he listened to the prosecutor to the best of his ability.

The Fool – Ren Amamiya

“Now, if I remember correctly, you had a strange dealing from an alternate world, didn’t you?” the prosecutor asked.

The Judgment – Sae Niijima

“I know who your next target was... but I’ve heard from a specific source that you may have been involved with the change of heart before taking down your sixth target.” Sae explained, turning the page of the folder in front of them. A picture of a large rotund man with a large mustache and small sunglasses was attached to a long page listing several alleged crimes. “Dr. Ivo ‘Eggman’ Robotnik. He led the world during that incident not too long ago, and I remember being involved with some of his minions myself. It’s no wonder why you’d change the heart of a man like that.” Sae said, leaning forward. “Now tell me, what happened during that time?” Ren then began to explain the events that happened not long before.

* * *

-???

“Wake up, inmate!”

“It is imperative that you awake from your slumber.” Two voices cried out into the darkness. Suddenly, light filled the dark, leaving an imprint of blue.

“You’re finally awake. Stand up! We have some words for you.” One of the voices said, a loud banging sound following. Ren stood up, covered in a black-and-white prison outfit. He was greeted by the sight of two humans, each wearing the same outfit. The twins were child-like in stature.

The Strength – Caroline and Justine

“Good. You’re finally awake.” Justine said. Ren looked at the state of the room, which appeared to be in disarray.

Current Location: Velvet Room

“Our master has left for the time being! We don’t know when he’ll be back.” Caroline explained.

“Without our master’s domain, we are quite limited in what services we can provide.” Justine continued.

“Which means, for the moment, we’re in charge of your rehabilitation!” Caroline said, slamming her nightstick on Ren’s cell door. “Ahahahaha! We’re gonna make you suffer!”

“Calm yourself, Caroline. His rehabilitation is just being put on hold until our master returns.” Justine said.

“Oh... right. I forgot. We’re just in charge of your Persona services.” Caroline said. “Due to our limited control, we can only perform fusions.” The louder warden explained. Justine appeared lost in thought, not listening to her twin. “Something wrong, Justine?”

“Doesn’t it seem a bit odd for the room to call out to him even though our master is gone?” Justine wondered aloud.

“Now that you mention it... it is strange. But isn’t it said that everything that happens in the Velvet Room is incredibly important? I feel like I remember something like that...” Caroline responded.

“I have... such memory as well. But why can’t I remember fully...?” Justine continued. Ren looked down at the two twins in thought.

“Hey! Aren’t you supposed to be waking up or something? Enjoy your rest, Inmate!” Caroline said, slamming her nightstick on the cell door again.

* * *

-Shujin Academy – Class 2-D

Ren sat at his desk in Shujin Academy. His class was in uproar over the dimensional mixup happening all around them. “Do you think they’re gonna cancel school from now on?” one student whispered.

“I hear they’re getting rid of homework...” another student whispered.

“Maybe they’ll start teaching us about other worlds...” yet another student whispered.

“Quiet down, class. Look, due to some of the more... crazy things going on right now... we’re going to have a study hall going on for a while. Just... go over your previous materials for now until we’ve dealt with all this chaos.” Ren’s teacher up front explained. “Ugh... this is too much for me...”

The Temperance – Sadayo Kawakami

“Even the school is dealing with all this. You think we’ll be able to defeat our target in time?” a voice asked Ren. He looked down, with a small cat’s face peeking up from underneath his desk.

The Magician – Morgana

Ren looked at the small black creature with a blank face. “Hmmm... well, at the very least... you’ve got study hall right now! Maybe you can make some infiltration tools or read a book, or...”

* * *

The rest of the school day passed by uneventfully. “With all the staff caught up in this dimensional web, it’s no wonder nothing happened today.” Morgana said, jumping into Ren’s bag. As the two were about to leave, Ren’s phone went off. “You better answer that.” Ren held the phone to his ear, and a young-sounding voice came out of it.

“Hello. My name is DJ_Hyperfresh. I’ve learned a few things about you since the last time we met. I’d like to meet with you in person. We’re not too far apart. There’s some things I’d like to discuss with you.” The voice on the phone explained.

“Wait, does she know you’re a Phantom Thief?” Morgana exclaimed.

“I remember seeing you walk into a café last night. Shall we meet there?” DJ_Hyperfresh asked. Joker affirmed, and the voice on the other end responded in glee. “Great! I’m glad we could reach an agreement. I’ll see you then.” She said, hanging up.

“This must be the person we helped out during that strange Metaverse event yesterday. I thought we were a bit more subtle when we greeted them...”

* * *

-Yongen-Jaya – Café LeBlanc

Ren walked into a small café in the Yongen-Jaya district of Tokyo. There were no customers, with the only other person in the café being a middle-aged man in an apron. “Huh, you’re home early today. It’s not time to close up yet.” he said.

The Hierophant – Sojiro Sakura

“Well, we don’t have any customers right now, so I guess it’s not too bad if you stay. Just don’t cause any trouble, all right?” Sojiro said. Ren nodded, and sat down at one of the tables. “Can you believe all that hubbub about other dimensions? It’s insanity. Keep your head down, alright?”

“Okay, that DJ_Hyperfresh should be here any minute now.” Morgana said. As he said that, the door to the café opened. Two people walked in, one being shorter than the other. Their hair appeared to be made up of tentacles.

“Are you sure this is the right place, Reena? It’s very... rustic in here.” The shorter one said.

“Yes, I’m sure, Pearlie.”

The Two Paths – Pearl and Marina

“Welcome. Can I get you anything?” Sojiro asked. “I might not have anything you can eat though...”

“It’s alright, sir. We’re just here to see someone.” Marina responded with a bow. She turned, seeing Ren sitting in one of the booths. “Ah, just who we were here to see!”

“You’re really bad at keeping that a secret, huh?” Sojiro said. “Just don’t get into too much trouble. Though, you’re pretty good at that.”

“Hmmm... he doesn’t look like much.” Pearl said, sitting down at the booth.

“So, I take it that you’re the Phantom Thief we saw the other day?” Marina asked. Ren nodded. Morgana popped his head out of the bag, looking at Pearl and Marina.

“Oooh...! Squid...!” Morgana said, before shaking his head. “Ugh, snap out of it... Hey, these aren’t the same people we helped the other day!”

“Oh my cod! The cat talks!” Pearl said, slamming her hands down on the table.

“Wait, what? You can understand me?” Morgana exclaimed.

“Not the weirdest thing we’ve seen in the last day, to be honest with you.” Marina said.

“I get it now. You were the voices of that octopus girl we saw.” Morgana said.

“Correctamundo!” Pearl exclaimed.

“Now, we’re here on purely business. Have you heard of a man named Dr. Eggman?” Marina asked.

“Uh... isn’t he the guy who brought all our worlds together?” Morgana answered.

“Yes. So, we heard you guys can change hearts. Can I make a request? Pearl can pay you handsomely, I promise.” Marina asked.

“Hey, don’t I get a say in this?” Pearl asked.

“You’re loaded, Pearl. You can afford it.”

“I guess...”

“What’s this job, if I can ask?” Morgana asked.

“We don’t know your methods... but can you change Eggman’s heart? It’ll really help our resistance group if you could. He’s a truly evil man.” Marina asked.

“That sucker thinks this world is an amusement park or something!” Pearl interjected. “He’s planning on summoning a dark lord who was locked away for all eternity. If he’s successful, then it’ll spell the end of all dimensions.” Marina continued.

“That’s a tall order...!” Morgana gasped.

“I understand if you can’t. I know it’s a bit much... but it would be great if you could help!” Marina asked.

“Do you think it’s a good idea, Ren? We’ve got another target to deal with right now.” Morgana said, turning towards Ren. The Phantom Thief leader thought it over, and nodded towards Pearl and Marina.

“You will? Oh, thank you! I don’t quite know what we can do for you... but it’ll help all dimensions if you can.” Marina said. Ren nodded.

‘I’ve made a deal with Marina Ida...’ he thought.

* * *

_I am thou, thou art I_

_Thou hast established a new vow._

_It shall become the wings of rebellion  
That breaketh thy chains of captivity._

_With the birth of the Two Paths Persona  
I have obtained the winds of blessing that shall lead to freedom and new power._

* * *

“You better come through for us! We’re always watching!” Pearl said.

“No we aren’t, Pearl. We’ll make sure that things are going smoothly. If I may ask... how do you change hearts...?” Marina asked.

“It’s a long story...” Morgana said. “You know much about cognition?”

“Cog...ni...what?” Pearl stammered.

“Cognition. What you see, Pearl. Like how you see the world from down low.” Marina jabbed.

“Right. Everyone sees the world differently. Those desires form in a dimension called the Metaverse, with particularly strong ones forming Palaces.” Morgana explained.

“I... kind of get it... but kind of don’t.” Marina said.

“We traverse a Palace, looking for the Treasure in its depths. When we secure a Treasure route, we send a calling card so the Treasure takes form. We only get one chance for that, as the effect of the calling card wears off after a day or so. Once we get the Treasure, the Palace crumbles and we escape as fast as possible. It’s not easy, since there’s Shadows and everything.” Morgana continues.

“So many words... blech...” Pearl said.

“Right... uh... don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone. But... I don’t think anyone would believe it anyway, even with all the chaos right now.” Marina said.

“Yeah, we hope we can convince someone one day.” Morgana said. “Before I forget... where is Eggman? We need to know where his Palace might be if we’re going to change his heart.”

“Death Egg Tower, directly in the center of Eggmanland. That’s where he’ll be, most likely.” The Octoling explained. Marina’s phone then buzzed, and she quickly took it out.

“We’ve gotta go. It sounds like they’re done on the island.” Marina said, as she and Pearl got up. “We’ll see you again, real soon.”

“Don’t get cooked...!” Pearl said.

“Stay off the hook!” They both ended. They exited the café, leaving Ren and Morgana alone.

“So, should we call the others?” Morgana asked. Ren nodded in response, and he pulled out his phone.

* * *

-Café LeBlanc - Attic

Ren, Morgana, and seven other people sat around a table in the attic of the small-time café. “I call this meeting of the Phantom Thieves into action!” Morgana said.

“What’s with your enthusiasm?” another Phantom Thief asked. She had two large blonde pigtails.

The Lovers – Ann Takamaki

“Sorry. This just feels like an important mission, Lady Ann!” Morgana said.

“What’s this mission, if I may ask?” another of the Phantom Thieves, a puffy-haired girl asked.

The Empress – Haru Okumura

“Wait, didn’t Ren tell you? I thought it was obvious. We’ve got ourselves a new target now.” Morgana explained.

“But isn’t dealing with the police out priority right now?” a tall, blue-haired boy asked.

The Emperor – Yusuke Kitagawa

“I’ve been speaking with the SIU and the police. They’re planning on putting the investigation and arrest on hold right now until they can get everything under control.” A messy-haired boy standing in the back of the attic explained.

The Justice – Goro Akechi

“Plus, it’s not like we can go to her Palace right now anyway. I’ve checked the Metanav, and it’s listed as ‘Closed’... whatever that means.” A brown-haired girl said.

The Priestess – Makoto Niijima

“That would make sense. The courthouse is currently closed as a result of this dimensional chaos. I imagine since she’s out of work for a while, her Palace is similarly closed.” Akechi mused.

“This is messing with my head...” a hunched-over yellow-haired boy said from the couch.

The Chariot – Ryuji Sakamoto

“What he’s saying is that the courthouse is closed. Since her Palace is the messed up cognition of the courthouse, her Palace would also be closed.” Makoto explained. “We should be fine, though. We’ve already secured the Treasure route. We’re just waiting for the right time to send the calling card.”

“Not to change the subject too much, but weren’t we here for a different mission?” a long-haired girl said from the bed. She had a laptop in front of her.

The Hermit – Futaba Sakura

“Right! So, you want to do the honors, leader?” Morgana said, turning to Ren. He nodded, and began to explain the mission.

“We’re going after a ‘Dr. Eggman’... who brought all these worlds together under his own control... and we’re going to instigate a change of heart so that he puts them back?” Ann mused.

“That would appear to be the case.” Yusuke responded.

“This’ll be our grandest mission as Phantom Thieves yet! We’ve taken down so many targets... but none of them have been this big!” Ryuji said.

“We don’t want to rush into this, though. Not after what happened last time...” Haru said, frowning heavily.

“Why don’t we go to that large tower in the center of the world. That’s where his Palace would be if he had one, right?” Yusuke said.

“Good idea. Let’s roll out, Phantom Thieves!” Futaba said, as the group left the attic. Ren and Morgana stopped in front of the stairs.

“Are you sure this is a good idea? You really think we can trust her?” Morgana asked, with Ren nodding in response. “Well, you know what you’re doing. I trust you.”

* * *

-Eggmanland – Death Egg Tower

The setting sun reflected off of the tall tower that was Death Egg Tower. The Phantom Thieves stood nearly a whole sea away, standing atop a cliff. “It looks like a Palace already...” Ryuji said.

“Hey, did that Marina tell you what that tower is called?” Makoto asked.

“She called it ‘Death Egg Tower’.” Morgana said.

“Shall we consult the Nav?” Yusuke asked, pulling out his phone. “Dr. Eggman... Death Egg Tower...” he typed in.

“Candidate found.” The MetaNav said.

“As per the norm, we’ve got everything but the distortion.” Yusuke said.

“What could his distortion even be? We know nothing about him. I can easily look up profiles on the internet... but not for someone who didn’t even exist in our dimension.” Futaba said. 

“He brought all these worlds together, correct? Might we start there?” Akechi wondered.

“Bringing worlds together... maybe a museum?” Ann started.

“No candidate found.” The MetaNav said.

“A museum is a bit on-the-nose, and we’ve already done a museum.” Ryuji responded.

“Why not terrarium? Maybe he brought them all together so he could gawk at them.” Futaba answered.

“No candidate found.” The MetaNav responded.

“Isn’t a terrarium kind of like a tiny museum? It seems like the same thing.” Ann responded in a defeated tone.

“Perhaps it’s something more scientific. How about a lab?” Haru asked the Nav.

“No candidate found.” The MetaNav responded.

“It sounds obvious, but that kind of sounds more like a detective or a researcher’s palace or something.” Makoto responded.

“With what little information we know... he’s a scientist... he doesn’t see humans as equals... he brought all our worlds together... but what does he want with them...?” Morgana mused. “What do you think, leader?” Ren thought back to the day prior, remembering his conversation with Pearl and Marina.

‘ _He’s a truly evil man..._ ’ Marina had said.

‘ _He sees this world like his own amusement park or something...!’_ Pearl had said.

“Ren?” Morgana asked.

“Amusement park.” Ren said.

“Candidate found. Beginning navigation.” The MetaNav said.

“An amusement park. It’s quite, dare I say, amusing.” Akechi laughed.

“We’re going up against a Palace ruler from another dimension. We must be prepared for anything.” Makoto said, the rest of the Phantom Thieves nodding in response. The world began to distort around them, and they entered the Metaverse.

* * *

-Eggman’s Palace – Entrance

The nine Phantom Thieves looked around as they exited, with every one of them looking completely different. The clouds in the sky gave off a red look, painting the landscape in scarlet. A large tower stood in the center of the world, taking the place of Death Egg Tower. It was much thicker, however, and had elevators running up the sides. Rainbow-colored lights emanated from above the cloud layer. Long lines of people stood waiting on the freeway beneath, going all the way to the base of the tower. “This doesn’t look like any amusement park I’ve ever seen.” Ann said, now wearing a tight red bodysuit and cat-like mask.

“If I had to make a guess, the amusement park is where the tower is.” Yusuke said, now wearing a white kitsune mask and navy blue jumpsuit. A long tail hung at his belt.

“Look at those lines though! I thought the lines at Ogikubo were long, but holy shit!” Ryuji said, sporting a more thuggish look with a skull-shaped mask.

“They’re probably waiting in line for the park.” Haru said, wearing a musketeer outfit with a flat black mask.

“Woah... the readings I’m getting from the sky are crazy! It almost feels like... several Palaces rather than just one.” Futaba said. She was now wearing a black bodysuit and a large set of goggles.

“We’re not accomplishing much just standing here.” Makoto said, now sporting an apocalyptic rider outfit and metal mask.

“I concur. We should get to the Palace sooner rather than later. What do you think, Joker?” Akechi asked, wearing a royal white outfit and a pointed red mask. Ren nodded, now sporting a long black coat and white mask.

“I’ll get us there in a jiffy! Let’s go, Phantom Thieves!” Morgana said, now looking like a cartoonish cat with a bulbous head. He jumped up in the air, and suddenly transformed into a small van. The Phantom Thieves each entered, and took off towards the tower.

* * *

-Eggman’s Palace – Elevator Entrance

The Morgana car passed the crowds, avoiding the cognitions as best it could. “How many people have we passed so far...?” Makoto wondered.

“I lost count after about a hundred...” Ann responded.

“We’re almost there.” Haru said, as the Morgana car stopped.

“We’re here!” Morgana said, transforming back into a cat. This dropped everyone out, each of them crashing into the pavement.

“Ouch! C’mon, Mona! A little warning would have been nice!” Ryuji said.

“Sorry...” Morgana responded.

“It looks even bigger up close...!” Makoto said, marveling at the tower’s size.

“How do we get in, exactly? We’re not going to stand in line, right? I don’t think I have the stamina for that...” Futaba said.

“Look, there’s a sign in front of the tower!” Ryuji said, pointing to a large illuminated sign.

“Wait time... one hundred years!? There’s no way we could do that!” Makoto exclaimed.

“Perhaps... there’s a more secretive way we can do this.” Akechi said. “Let’s try getting in from a staff entrance.”

“A brilliant idea, Crow.” Yusuke responded. The Phantom Thieves circled around the tower, looking for another way in.

* * *

The nine high schoolers found a staff entrance in the back. “Here we go. This will do us quite nicely.” Akechi said.

“It looks like we’ll need a key to get in...” Makoto said.

“Hey, what are you kids doing back here?” a voice called behind them. The nine turned, seeing a large security robot looming over them. “Are you kids loitering? I’m going to have to escort you off the premises if you are.”

“Uh... we’re... VIP holders! We were just looking for the VIP entrance, and we couldn’t find it, so we looked for the staff room for help...!” Ann said in a clearly faked voice.

“Oh, well if that’s the case, I can take you to the entrance. Just hand over your VIP passes and we’ll be on our way.” The security Shadow asked.

“Nice going, Panther, we don’t have passes!” Ryuji said.

“I didn’t think he’d check now!” Ann said.

“Y’know... I don’t think you’re actually pass holders. You’re trying to trespass, aren’t you? The punishment for that... is death!” the security Shadow said, changing form. It took the form of a strange, bug-like creature with hoof-like feet and bat wings.

Evil Synthetic Lifeform – Byakhee

BATTLE TIME!

Ren stood in front of Byakhee, holding a large knife. Morgana, Makoto, and Akechi joined up behind him. “Trespassers will not be tolerated! Prepare to be destroyed!” Byahkee said.

“Arséne!” Joker cried, summoning a tall twisted spirit behind him. It wore a tall top hat and had long curved horns. “Eigaon!” he commanded. His Persona fired a beam of dark energy at Byakhee, doing a medium amount of damage.

“Robin Hood!” Akechi cried. A muscular Persona appeared behind him, pointing a large bow at the enemy. “Kouga!” he commanded. A beam of light engulfed Byakhee, doing medium damage as well.

“Johanna!” Makoto cried, her Persona appearing underneath her in the form of a motorcycle. “Freila!” she commanded, with a blast of nuclear energy surrounding Byakhee. Byakhee fell over, downed.

“You’re surrounded, don’t move!” Futaba said, as the party surrounded the Shadow.

“Let’s go!” Makoto said, as the party jumped up in the air. They viciously attacked Byakhee, defeating the Shadow. Makoto jumped forward, as blood spewed from Byakhee’s body. “Fist of justice!”

JUSTICE HAS PREVAILED!

Byakhee disappeared, leaving behind a key. “Here we go. A staff key!” Morgana said, picking up the key.

“We can get into the tower now. Good job, Joker.” Yusuke said.

“Alright, let’s get into the park. I can only imagine what awaits us on the other side...” Makoto said, as the nine entered the tower.

* * *

-Eggman’s Palace – Elevator

The Phantom Thieves stood inside an elevator pod, moving quickly up the tower. “This tower’s going by real fast, huh?” Ryuji said.

“There’s not much to see outside, is there?” Yusuke said. “The scenery is quite drab.”

“We’re miles above the planet right now! It’s crazy!” Futaba said, typing away on her laptop. “We should be leaving the cloud layer any second now.”

“So high...” Makoto said. The clouds outside their pod disappeared, leaving the group with a view of the planet underneath them.

“Woah...!” Haru gasped, as the Phantom Thieves looked at the planet, which now appeared near their side.

“Wait, didn’t we enter from the bottom? Why are we seeing it like this?” Ann asked.

“If I had to guess, I would say that gravity switched while on our way up.” Akechi responded.

“Uh... guys...!” Morgana said. The other thieves looked towards him, and each one gasped as they did.

“That’s... his Palace... isn’t it?” Haru asked.

“It must be. It’s gotta be!” Morgana responded. The elevator rose towards a large resort ahead of them, which appeared to be the size of a large city. Lights and fireworks exploded above the hotel resort. The resort itself surrounded a much larger theme park on the inside, complete with rollercoasters and Ferris wheels. Large orange chains jutted out of the ‘bottom’ of the resort, extending out to five large structures, each of which looked to be the size of a Palace.

“It’s so beautiful...!” Futaba marveled.

“Destinyland has nothin’ on this! Holy shit!” Ryuji added.

“I thought the Palaces we’ve been in before have been massive...” Makoto said.

“It looks like we’ll be docking soon. It may be marvelous, but we must keep our wits about.” Akechi said, as the elevator landed.

* * *

-Eggman’s Palace – Tropical Resort

The Phantom Thieves stepped into the main area of the Tropical Resort. “It’s like a city!” Ryuji said, seeing the winding roads of the Tropical Resort. The Thieves made their way forward, coming across a tall statue of Eggman. It was entirely golden, adorned with many jewels. His hand was pointed forward like a salute.

“Something about his smug aura irks me.” Makoto said.

“’The brilliant Dr. Eggman, whose brilliant mind shall lead all who follow him to salvation.’” Yusuke read. “Much like any other Shadow, he’s got a massive ego.”

“Welcome to Dr. Eggman’s Incredible Interstellar Amusement Park!” a voice then boomed over the park. The Phantom Thieves reached for their weapons, as the announcement continued. “This amusement park has been constructed as a sense of remorse for my past transgressions and is not involved in any evils plans in any way.” The voice of Eggman said over the P.A..

“Somehow, I don’t believe him.” Ann said.

“Enjoy the Tropical Resort! It will be a while before the park itself opens, so why not buy some merchandise or hang out by the poolside? Hear that? Don’t go near the park!” Eggman’s voice continued.

“Why not head to the park?” Morgana asked. The Phantom Thieves headed towards the middle of the resort, where the true Eggmanland was located.

* * *

-Tropical Resort – Eggmanland Entrance

The thieves stood at the base of sprawling wall. A large door stood in front of them, with five large lights on the front of it. A line came down from each light, splitting off towards the sides of the park. “How are we supposed to get in?” Ann asked.

“There must be a power source somewhere keeping it locked.” Morgana responded.

“That’s right, there’s five power sources. Those five moons we saw when we came in? Amazingly enough, I think those are... Palaces.” Futaba explained.

“Wait, Palaces? But we’re already inside of Eggman’s Palace, right? How can there be more Palaces?” Haru questioned.

“He leads the world made up of infinite realms, right? It makes sense that even if there’s powerful enough presences to create Palaces, they’d all orbit around the most powerful ruler. Perhaps he’s using them as a power source. But how does he know so much about the cognitive world...? That’s not something a normal person could do...” Morgana mused.

“How perceptive of you. You lot aren’t quite as dumb as you look.” A voice said from above them.

“I’m not a cat, Ryuji!” Morgana yelled.

“Wha-? Why are you yellin’ at me? I didn’t say anything!” Ryuji argued.

“Oh, sorry. Force of habit.” Morgana responded.

“Is this how the famed Phantom Thieves of Hearts act on a daily basis? Laughable.” The voice said again. Everyone looked up, seeing a humanoid jackal floating down towards them. He wore a large mask on his face, and had waving hair behind him.

The Infinite – Infinite

“You’re that weird guy from yesterday!” Ann said, pulling out her whip.

“I don’t believe we had a proper introduction. I am Infinite. May it stick with you for the rest of your pitifully short lives.” Infinite coldly greeted. “Ever since our meeting yesterday, I’ve been made aware of this ‘Metaverse’ we fought each other in. As long as his Shadow remains intact, and as long as his Treasure stays in place, there’s nothing you can do to stop him. It's not all too different from the reality-bending I'm used to."

“Yeah? Well you’re not dealing with any normal high schoolers.” Makoto said, pointing her fist at him. 

“Heheheh... this will be fun. I’ll crush your spirits, make you experience a world of pain, disassemble you piece-by-piece, and, well, I needn’t go further.” Infinite said, surrounding himself in a red aura.

BATTLE TIME!

Infinite stood across from Ren, as Haru, Ann, and Makoto backed him up. “Let’s take him down!” Futaba said.

“It’s a futile attempt. I cannot be defeated. Now, come to me, Shadows!” Infinite commanded. Two Shadows suddenly appeared beside him. They were large skulls, with a snake slithering inside of it.

Dream-Dwelling Skull – Loa

“We will do as you command, Lord Infinite!” one of the Loa said. One of the Loa used the dark spell Maeigaon, hitting each of the thieves. It hit them with heavy amounts of damage. The other Loa attacked as well, using the same attack.

“Dance, Carmen!” Ann said, summoning her Persona. It took on the form of a tall purple-skinned woman. She held a small man with a heart-shaped caged on his head, as well as stepping on one. “Maragidyne!” she commanded, hitting each of the enemies. It was neutral against Infinite, but both of the Loa resisted.

“Ride, Johanna!” Makoto said, summoning Johanna. “Mafreila!” she commanded, hitting each of the enemies. Both of the Loa resisted, but Infinite was damaged normally.

“Heheheheh...” Infinite laughed, activating the ruby on his chest. He then fired a laser across the group, hurting them greatly. In response, Joker pulled out a pistol He fired upon the enemies, landing a critical hit on Infinite. “You impudent child...”

“Lookin’ cool, Joker!” Futaba said, as Joker passed his turn onto Haru. “Pass the baton and follow up!”

“Come, Milady!” Haru said, summoning her Persona. The Persona wore a large frilly dress, and lacked a head. “Mapsio!” she commanded, sending a wave of psychic energy at the group. It destroyed the Loa, leaving Infinite downed. The Phantom Thieves surrounded him, pointing their guns at him.

“You children actually managed to knock me down... that somewhat impressive. But don’t think this means you’ve won.” Infinite said, as the Phantom Thieves initiated an All-Out Attack.

“Let’s finish them!” Futaba said, as the thieves whaled on Infinite. As they finished, a table spawned with a tea set on it. Haru sat down upon it, and began to sip.

ADIEU.

“To think... a bunch of children could take me out... no. NO!” Infinite said, sending a powerful shockwave across the ground, knocking the Phantom Thieves away.

“Ahh! Ow...” Ryuji groaned.

“I will commend your strength, for now. But I don’t have time to deal with a bunch of children. I’ll let you live for now, but if we cross paths again, I WILL come out on top.” Infinite said. Ren stood up, looking at Infinite with intense eyes. “Something about you, most of all, is intriguing. What is this power I’m feeling? Heheheheh... I look forward to challenging you again, thief in the black coat.” Infinite said, flying away.

“Get back here, you coward!” Ryuji yelled.

“He’s not important, Ryuji. We need to focus on getting Eggman’s Treasure.” Makoto said.

“Yeah... you’re right. So, where do we start?”

“There’s five Palaces connected to the main Palace, powering the lock on the main Palace. I don’t know if that means we’ll need to send a calling card or not, but there’ll be more Shadows for us to deal with. Probably more powerful than anything we’ve dealt with up to this point. Plus, I think we’ll run into Infinite several more times. Are we ready for this?” Morgana asked. Each of the thieves nodded, Morgana smiling in response. “Alright, it looks like we’re all in agreement!”

“Can we take a break for today, though? I’m tuckered out.” Ann sighed.

“I agree. It would be best for us to rest for the next Palace.” Akechi agreed.

“All right, let’s take five and meet up tomorrow, all right?” Morgana said, with the rest of the thieves agreeing.

* * *

-Café LeBlanc – Attic

Ren laid in his bed, Morgana laying at his side. Night had fallen upon Tokyo, leaving the café attic in darkness. As he drifted towards sleep, his phone suddenly buzzed. “Who could that be at this hour?” Morgana sleepily said. Ren looked at his phone, squinting his eyes at the sight.

‘Senpai, are you okay? I went through some weird stuff today... I know it’s late, but I wanted to let you know!’ the text read.

“Senpai...? This must be a wrong number. Just text them back and tell them that.” Morgana said.

‘Sorry, I think you’ve got the wrong number.’ Ren texted back.

‘No it isn’t! This is your number, Amamiya-senpai!’ the mysterious number texted back.

“Woah...! They know your name? This is kind of creepy.” Morgana responded.

‘Who is this?’ Ren texted back.

‘What do you mean ‘Who is this?’ It’s me, Yoshizawa-san! Y’know, your gymnastics buddy?’ the other end texted back.

“Since when did you have a gymnastics buddy...?” Morgana wondered.

‘I really think you’ve got the wrong number.’ Ren texted back.

‘Is this some kind of game you’re playing? Because, if so, it’s not very funny, senpai.’ The person texted back.

“Man, they seem really persistent. It’s probably a catfish or something. Maybe you ought to block them.” Morgana said. Ren nodded, and went to block the number. He laid his phone down, and began to drift off again. “It’s really weird that some random person texted you in the middle of the night. Let’s just sleep it off, yeah?”

**Author's Note:**

> Next Time: The Phantom Thieves enter the first Palace, and run into a truly unexpected ally in the process.
> 
> Notes: I'm gonna try using Shadows that only appear in Persona 5 Royal or other Megami Tensei games. There's so many crazy demon designs I want to use that aren't in the original Persona 5 that are just... so good. I'm trying to keep the original as if it took place in the original Persona 5.
> 
> In terms of the Arcana I gave to Pearl and Marina, the Two Paths is the equivalent to the Lovers Arcana in the El Gran Tarot Esoterico (as Los Dos Caminos). However, Infinite's 'arcana' is completely made-up and doesn't match any actual tarot decks (as far as I know), and was really just to keep him in theme with the others. I may or may not come up with a better one later.
> 
> I'm planning on making a confidant thing for Marina sometime in the near future.
> 
> Music List:
> 
> Interrogation Room - Persona 5  
> The Poem of Everyone's Souls - Persona 3 (it's the same in every Persona game after that one.)  
> Beneath the Mask - Persona 5  
> The Spirit - Persona 5  
> Wicked Plan - Persona 5  
> Suspicion - Persona 5  
> Theme of Sonic Colors - Sonic Colors  
> Area - Tropical Resort - Sonic Colors  
> Blood of Villain - Persona 5  
> Battle with Infinite - First Bout - Sonic Forces


End file.
